Law enforcement in the veil
In Gray Vale, there exist 3 distinct groups of problem solvers. Police The municipal Police force. they are your uniformed and plain clothes peace keepers tasked with defending the weak and upholding the law. governed by their own laws and internal affairs department the gvpd stretches far and wide and has at least one station in every part of the ever increasing world of Gray Vale. They were instituted after the war of reclamation during the founding of Gray Vale as a way for the common people to solve their problems and disputes amicably. and they fill that role very competently. There are no racial barriers in the GVPD and any creature from the smallest goblinoid or gnome to the largest goliath can enlist to serve the public. they are also incredibly varied in their uses, no 2 officers are the same, and no 2 units are the same. there are units of aarakocra who patrol the skies, legions of goblins, gnomes, and dwarves who delve in the depths of the sewers, battalions of humans, elves, and orcs walking the beat, and any number of additional races kicking down doors to save lives. all these units are coordinated by the mysterious and enigmatic detectives. The police are equipped with standard munitions and protective equipment. SWAT officers are outfitted with more complex arms and equipment. Their application is general purpose and highly adaptable to situations, though they are not masters in any one field. when situations become too intense for even their swat members, they turn to the paladins. Paladins Paladins are in effect Gray Vale’s military arm. heavily armored knights of justice wielding divine might and righteous fury, there are few foes who can stand against one-but there are thousands in the Vale. In addition to their own might, they also have in their service, canine shifters who practice powerful sorceries. the girls are witches, the boys are warlocks. they are commonly referred to as “arcanines” the combination of the arcane and divine means that a paladin and their partner are nearly indomitable. During the early days of the Vale’s existence the land itself was gray and barren. a small rift in the middle of 2 different worlds, the human earth and the fantasy land Inthilla. it was a very dangerous and turbulent time, and the people who crossed the veil to settle this land risked attacks from marauding bands of githyanki pirates, dragons from the astral sea, demons and aberrations from beyond either’s plane of existence, and eldritch abominations that threatened not only the lives, but the sanity of those they considered prey. as such the paladins on either side of the veil were drawn to what is now Gray Vale in order to quell this threat. Many battles were fought over many years, until eventually only the long lived elves remained in their ranks. the other humanoids not possessing the life span needed to combat the evil for as long as possible were gradually replaced. this is where the divide between the other races and the elves started-as the elves took power and barred any other races from joining. but thats a story for another time. the Paladins are incredibly heavily armed, choosing melee over ranged combat they infuse their weapons with radiant energy and use them to horrifying effect on their foes. their canine partners enhance their abilities and if necessary provide combat support using magical firearms. no two witch/warlock weapons are the same, as the witch/warlock makes them on their own. some are small pistols, others sensible rifles, while the more audacious create walking weapons of death-able to be summoned with a finger snap. Nobody knows where the Paladin headquarters is, how to find it, or even how they maneuver around the Vale. they are shock troops, appearing out of thin air, accomplishing their mission, then fading away as quickly as they came. Father Psu himself even claims his office has no authority over their activities. even with that, the paladins remain a force for good, and are above reproach. Vigilantes Often referred to as “problem solvers” Vigilantes fill in the gaps where the police and Paladins allow matters to slip through. a lost puppy will not garner much importance with the police, and wouldnt even be considered by a paladin, as both have a multitude of serious matters that require their attention. A missing person case that goes cold usually ends there as no more resources can be used for investigating it. smaller civil issues that dont warrant legal intervention, but require a mediator are of no concern to either force. enter the vigilantes. while vigilantism itself is not expressly illegal, there are certain factors that need to be considered. Gray Vale is a city of freedom, but also of order. Vigilantes cannot be: former criminals, associated with criminal elements, or persons of interest in connection with criminal activity. if any of those conditions are violated, the authority to operate as a vigilante will be revoked. as such the various vigilantes formed guilds each with their own rules and by-laws to ensure their continued success. they all take their reputations very seriously, as their reputation directly influences their market appeal and their income. Guilds can be as few as 2 people or many as several hundred. their approaches are as varied as their members. some are brash and reckless others cold and calculating. some wear outlandish costumes, dignified uniforms, or common clothes. the only identifying feature they all share is a pauldron with their guilds insignia on it. the guild members themselves are often a colorful lot. people either unable or unwilling to join a stiff organization like the police find gainful employment in a guild. retired officers of the GVPD fill the ranks of a guild as advisors or consultants. glory hounds and general do gooders find their niche as front line fighters or explorers. if you have a skill, any skill, theres a place for you in a guild. Many guilds choose to specialize in certain fields, like crowd control and security for VIP’s. some exclusively delve into dungeons to retrieve treasure or lost artifacts from long lost tombs. hostage rescue, disaster relief, even reinforcing police units under siege are under their purview. no job too large or small exists for these problem solvers, provided you have the coin to pay for their services. there are certain guilds hired exclusively by the GVPD to aid in intelligence gathering and assistance in protecting innocent people during times of disaster or civil unrest. Despite their hard earned status as respectable members of society-there are rumors of a black market vigilante system that takes on unsavory or even illegal jobs that honorable guilds would not even consider. though that has never been proven.